Possibilities Alternate and Infinite
by SapphireQuill'sFic
Summary: A series of plot bunnies/oneshots, unrelated points of contact for Stargate/Buffy crossovers.
1. Relative

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

More procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

Characters and their respective 'verses are not the property of me.

In this installment, technical spoilers for _Stargate_ (the movie), _SG-1_ S3 "Crystal Skull," and _BtVS_ S2 "Phases."

Originally posted: 21 Oct 09

**

* * *

  
Relative**

Maureen assumed some sort of sales person had rung the doorbell — with Jordy and his dad on their monthly retreat, she wasn't expecting it to be anyone they knew. She was stunned, therefore, when she opened the door and discovered Daniel standing there.

"Oh my goodness," she exclaimed and enfolded him in a hug before he could even step over the threshold.

When she finally released him, she ushered him into the living room. "Come in, come in. How are you?" She didn't give him a chance to answer before she continued, "Can I get you anything? Coffee?"

"I'm doing well, and coffee would be great, thanks." Her feelings would be hurt, he knew, if he said no, and she made excellent coffee, so he found himself alone while she prepared a tray in the kitchen. He used the opportunity to note what had changed in the years since he'd lived here — very little — and migrated towards a collection of photographs.

When Maureen returned, he pointed to one in particular. "Is this your son? I can't believe how tall he's getting."

"That's Jordy, yes." She put down the tray and trapped the man who had been her foster child with the full weight of her gaze. "Having raised you for the better part of ten years and worried about you since, I think I've earned the right to call you 'son' as well, Daniel."

He flushed and fidgeted the way he'd always done when he thought he'd disappointed them. "No, I — I mean, of course — I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

She smiled and tried to lighten the mood. "Well, I hope you weren't trying to insinuate that he couldn't be mine given his height," she teased.

Daniel chuckled softly. Maureen's indignation when mocked about her lack of stature was a family joke. "I haven't been gone that long." He reached for a cup of coffee and inhaled the aroma slowly before drinking. It was her coffee that was responsible his caffeine addiction, and it tasted just as heavenly as he remembered.

He smiled and settled in for a long chat.

* * *

They talked for hours. Daniel was only able to tell her heavily-edited stories of his life — a reminder that he didn't have much of one outside of his highly classified work with the air force — but he enjoyed listening as Maureen regaled him with stories of what had happened to his foster family in the years since the last time he'd had enough leave to visit. When she asked what he wanted for dinner, he looked at his watch in surprise, not having realized that much time had passed.

They relocated to the kitchen, and Daniel seated on 'his' stool at the counter, helping chop vegetables. He felt fifteen again.

"So, where are Ken and Jordy?" Daniel asked. "I was looking forward to seeing them. Though 'meeting' might be more appropriate in Jordy's case, since I think he still had his baby teeth the last time I saw him."

"They won't be back until Monday, actually. They're having a father/son weekend."

"So I could join them, but you'd have to stay here?" Daniel grinned.

She froze. "Daniel...."

Before she'd even finished saying his name, his expression fell into a polite mask, one she knew far too well. He'd worn it when he corrected strangers who assumed he was their biological or adopted son, worn it for days after every visit with his grandfather before the man had himself institutionalized. "No, don't worry about it. It was a joke, really. How is Ken's hockey team doing this year? I assume he's still playing."

Knowing she couldn't call herself his mother if she left him in pain — pain _she_ had caused — she reached out and caught his hand in hers, squeezing gently until he looked up at her. "It's just—" Her grip tightened, almost unconsciously, and his expression became one of deep concern. Her eyes welled with tears, though she managed to keep them from falling, and he clasped her hand reassuringly.

"There's something we haven't told you — we should have. It's about Jordy."

* * *

_Jordy is, of course, the cousin who bit Oz, transforming him into a werewolf._


	2. Called

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

More procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

Characters and their respective 'verses are not the property of me.

In this installment, technical spoilers for _BtVS_ S7 finale, references to characters in _Stargate SG-1_ S2 "Bane."

Originally posted: 27 Oct 09

* * *

**  
Called**

"Xander!"

Given the number of females in his life with the ability to squeal high and loud and the frequency with which they exercised said talent, Xander knew his hearing would be the next of his senses to go. As he was engulfed in a fierce group hug, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"You're back!"

"Did you find her?"

"Did she wig?"

"Did her parents?"

"Did she say yes?"

He grinned. The barrage of questions was the same each time one of them returned from contacting one of the girls Called in the aftermath of the battle that destroyed Sunnydale. "She's downstairs, getting the tour. Her dad's dead, a cop shot in the line a few years ago. Her brother's jealous but pleased for her, I think. Her mom..." Xander tried to find words to describe what he thought the woman had been feeling. "She's a bit wigged, a bit pleased... a bit... relieved, maybe? Having Ally here and the IWC paying for her education will be a relief for her, I think — they didn't live in the best part of town — and I think she's feeling a bit guilty about feeling relieved."

"And the girl, Ally?"

"Excited but surprisingly okay with everything. Interested in the physical training. Sees it as a great head start, professionally."

With the increased number of Slayers, 'day jobs' were not only a possibility for the newly Chosen but also actively encouraged, especially in complementary fields. "Why? What does she want to be?"

Imagining Buffy's reaction to the answer, Xander tried to contain his smirk. "Career Air Force."


	3. Watchers

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

Procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

Neither _Stargate_ nor _Buffy_ is the property of me. Additional disclaimers at the end.

In this installment, technical spoilers for _Stargate SG-1 _S2 "The Gamekeeper" and _Buffy_ S7 "Never Leave Me" and "Chosen."

Originally posted: 8 Dec 09

* * *

**Watchers **

Well-polished wood, the smell of old books, and young voices murmuring at the research table — it had been a long year, but Giles was finally home.

The research in progress wasn't apocalyptic in nature, so Giles was sorting through the boxes of texts that had been gathered from the private collections of the Watchers who had died in the bombing of Council Headquarters. Having lost so much, they were using every avenue available as they tried to rebuild the resources they would need to support the Slayers.

Willow and Dawn searching through what remained of the old Watcher's Council's papers — financial records from the accountant's office, mainly. They were looking for references to people who hadn't been in the building when it had exploded, people who had been Watchers — or could have been — in the hopes that they could be recruited to help the new slayers. Unfortunately, the majority of the names were easily identifiable as deceased or otherwise unavailable, so it was very sombre work.

Then Dawn giggled.

"There's an actual person named 'Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart'? Did his parents hate him? I mean, that's even worse than Wesley Wyndham-Price."

Giles smiled. "There is indeed, or was. He's a Brigadier General with UNIT, and last I heard, he was declared missing while on assignment in Peru." Both girls were still leery about military organizations after their experiences with the Initiative and shuddered. Dawn crossed him off the list with a bit more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary.

Willow was the next to break the silence.

"Do you know what happened to Dr. Emmett Brown? His records just... stop without explanation."

Giles winced. "He was killed double-crossing Libyan terrorists in... 1985, I believe."

Willow' eyes widened, and she crossed the unfortunate Doc Brown off the list quickly, as though there was a chance of further retribution until it was done.

A few minutes later, Willow called to him again, a bit uncertainly, "Shepherd Derrial Book?"

Giles looked up from the book he was examining. "Yes. Well. He... hasn't been born yet, actually."

"Huh." She shrugged and crossed the name off the list.

Giles was amused. It was indicative of the strangeness of their lives when _that_ response was the one that garnered the least reaction from the girls.

It was close to an hour before Dawn caught his attention again.

"Giles? What do you know about Melburn Jackson?"

"That's a name I haven't heard in a while."

Both girls raised their heads quickly, like animals scenting game, and Giles chuckled quietly. "It's quite a romantic story, actually," he continued, heading for the corner where he kept his tea. He recognized their need for a break and knew from experience when it was best to indulge them. "He was from an old Watcher family, began training before he could walk. He'd just completed his studies when the Council learned of a new Potential. She'd been identified late and was already a teenager when she arrived.

"What about her parents?" The question was accusatory and a bit fearful. He didn't blame them, given what they did about the practices of the old council. He knew, too, that the part he himself had played hadn't been entirely forgotten or forgiven. But then, he hadn't forgiven himself, either.

"Her mother had died not long before she was identified, and her father was an archaeologist of some renown. Taking a young woman on digs in remote areas was far more complicated in those days, and leaving her to the care of the Watcher's Council was infinitely easier." He was careful to continue before either of them could express their indignation.

"They were an incredibly well matched pair — Claire could easily have been a Watcher herself, if she'd been interested — and by the time it was clear that she would not be Called, they'd fallen deeply in love. They felt it would be unfair to take on Potentials while raising a family, and they chose instead to become archaeologists themselves. They were responsible for discovering many of the artifacts for the Watchers Council — my Orb of Thessulah and the Kalixana Diaries, for example."

"I'm guessing the past tense means they wouldn't consider coming back now?"

Giles shook his head. "They were supervising the installation of an exhibit at the New York Museum of Art when it collapsed, and they were crushed. Must be thirty years ago now."

"Oh, Goddess, how horrible."

"How old were their children?"

"They had only one son; he was only a young boy at the time. He was present when it happened, though fortunately unharmed."

"What happened to him?"

"I assume his grandfather raised him. I know he also went on to become an archaeologist and linguist. In fact, if I recall correctly... I believe he presented some rather controversial theories... something about alien life on Earth predating the known civilizations. Hasn't been heard from in academia much since."

Dawn looked contemplative. "I wonder if _he_ needs a job?"

* * *

Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart belongs to _Doctor Who_ and the BBC  
(And he's no longer stranded in Peru as of S2 of _The Sarah Jane Adventures_)

Dr. Emmett Brown from _Back to the Future_, property of Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

Shepherd Derrial Book created for _Firefly_, created by Joss Wheden


	4. Wish

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

I don't own _Buffy_ or _Stargate_.

In this installment, technical spoilers through the end of _BtVS_ S7 and _SG-1_ S1.

Warnings for language

Originally Posted: 18 Jan 10

* * *

**Wish**

As they left the house, at least half the residents were still shouting.

Xander shook his head in an attempt to clear the ringing. The Kellermans were emotional and loud.

"It always blows up when we mention demons. I wish we had a more believable explanation than _demons_."

He froze and turned slowly to Buffy. They waited, fearfully, for several moments. When they weren't confronted by one of D'Hoffryn's minions, they exhaled gratefully.

"Nice one, Xander. Insulting demons while using using the 'W' word. Let's get back before you accidentally un-invent chocolate."

They were staying at a Bed and Breakfast a short distance away, and the walk back was eerily quiet. Three days in Colorado Springs and they hadn't seen so much as a fledgling vamp, let alone a demon worthy of research. It made explanations like the one they'd just had to deliver to the Kellermans that much more difficult.

They'd barely reached the steps when Dawn barreled out of the door. She grabbed for their closest appendages and dragged them inside.

"You have to see this!"

Xander had time to notice that the plaid and ruffles that had overwhelmed the sitting room of their B&B had been replaced with furniture and photos that looked... suspiciously familiar. He also noticed that three additional slayers and a witch — women he was _positive_ were supposed to be helping set up their new base of operations in Cleveland — were staring at the television.

He'd just identified the program they were watching as a Sci-Fi show — it looked like a Breaking News Bulletin, but it was about aliens, so it couldn't be real — when Willow noticed they'd returned.

Hoping for an explanation, he was taken aback when he was reprimanded instead.

"Xander! Buffy! How could you _both_ manage to forget your pagers?! You've been called into the base. General Hammond expected you at least half an hour ago."

Xander and Buffy locked gazes for the second time that evening, this time in terrified shock. _Oh, shit_.


	5. Memory

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

Procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

I don't own _Buffy_, _Angel_, or _Stargate_.

In this installment, technical spoilers for _Angel_ S5 (casting/setting, primarily), re-visioning of events early in _SG-1_ S7, and unnecessary use of clichéd plots. Because I like them.

Originally posted: 12 Feb 10

* * *

**  
****Memory**

Wesley knocked on the door to Angel's office and had to hide a smile when he heard two irritated voices yelling, in unison, "What?!" Sooner or later, Angel and Spike would realize what had been evident to the rest of them for quite some time now — if they found each other's company as repugnant as they claimed, they'd simply avoid each other.

When he was sure his expression was suitably serious, he entered and found the two men facing off across the desk.

"Is this a bad time?"

"No!" Angel replied a bit too enthusiastically, and Spike looked smug. "What do you need?"

"Harmony is calling the others. I have an update on our unexpected visitor."

Angel was going to ask why that was necessary, but Wes had barely finished speaking when Fred, Lorne, and Gunn appeared at the door. He addressed Fred instead, "How's he doing?"

Fred looked concerned but not as seriously worried as she had earlier in the week. "He still can't remember much. He seems to be suffering from dissociative retrograde amnesia, which means he can remember how to do the things he needs to survive, things that require body memory, really— how to speak, hold utensils, dress himself."

"You found him some clothes then?" Spike interjected.

Fred gave him an exasperated look but otherwise ignored him. "But it's probably the result of some psychological trauma he experience before he—"

"Dropped naked into our lobby?"

Angel growled. "Spike—"

"Physically, he's fine," Fred continued quickly. "There's no trauma to the brain or other cause for the memory loss that we can find, and we've run CAT scans, MRIs — we've had in him every machine in the lab that I recognize, without anything showing up. Knox thinks we should try a couple of others, but I'm not really comfortable with that, at least not until I've had a closer look at them, since he's not in any distress. Physical distress — of course he's mentally distressed, he has amnesia. Though he is handling it better than I would have expected. Better than I would have, any—"

"Thank you, Fred." Angel cut her off. "Wesley?"

"I've got the results from the analysis of our guest's blood sample." Fred looked surprised, since, under normal circumstances, the results would have been sent to her office, and given the lack of contextual information, they weren't expected anytime soon. "Typically, searches of this sort are run through the Wolfram and Hart database first, just in case. We didn't expect anything to come of it, but there were... some interesting flags. He shows a close genetic relationship to someone on whom we have quite a complete file already." He passed the folder he was carrying to Angel. "Faith."

"How close?" Spike asked, since Angel was examining closely the contents of the folder.

"As far as we can tell, he's her father."


	6. Request

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

Procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate/Buffy_crossovers.

I don't own _Buffy_ or _Stargate_.

What happened here is I half-remembered a comment an _SG-1_character made, had an idea, and wrote it. Then, when I was checking something else anyway, I looked up the original remark and realized that my thing was AU (something I've tried not to do with these ficlets up to the point of contact).

But I liked it anyway, and my birthday seemed like a justifiable reason to deviate into AU, so I went crazy with it and wrote more.

This installment is set at the end of season 5 _Buffy_ and pre-season 7 of _SG-1_S1; AU, so no official spoilers as I could be making everything up.

Originally posted: 16 March 10

* * *

**Request**

The door banged against the wall as Janet entered, and she slammed her books on the desk.

Her roommate looked up curiously. "Problem?"

"We were assigned our lab partners in Anatomy today. I've been paired with a History major! I'm planning to become a doctor, and in one of my most important courses, I'm stuck baby-sitting a Going Back to School to Take Electives, _History_Major!"

She dropped into her desk chair and opened her text, somewhat more forcefully than the task required. She'd need to be as prepared as possible if she was going to have to carry her partner through the course.

_No matter how cute he is._

* * *

_Several years later..._

"You're not serious."

Janet stiffened and turned back to face her husband. "What?"

"The _military_, Janet?"

"Yes, the military! I became a doctor to make a difference, and I think I can do that there."

"But, what about—"

"But what about what? Someday that secret organization you work for might give you an assignment that might take you somewhere that might not be convenient to someplace I _might_be stationed?" She didn't need to see the betrayal on his face to know she'd gone too far. "I'm sorry."

She stood in front of him, clasped his hands in hers and stared at him, willing him to understand how important this was to her. "Rip, I need to do this."

* * *

_Several years after that..._

With an annoyed glare at the man in front of her – an explanation wouldn't have killed Mr. Wyndham-Price; being a doctor, she was certain of that – she opened the letter.

The spidery letters on the page bore only a superficial resemblance to the confident script she remembered, and she took a deep breath before reading.

_Dear Janet,_

_Forgive me: this is not the manner in which I had hoped to contact you, but it is all that is available to me at the moment. I apologise, as well, for the difficult situation I am about to unleash upon you and for what I suspect will be a very lengthy missive._

_When we last spoke, I was moving to California to mentor a young woman on behalf of what you used to refer to as the 'family business.'_

_My charge has been by turns a terror and a delight, and I could not be more proud of what she has accomplished if she were- had been my own daughter. After a tenure that has heretofore been unmatched, we were confronted with a situation unlike any previous. In the face of great odds, our side ultimately prevailed, but not without loss of life._

_Buffy was not amongst the survivors; neither, I fear, will I be. Indeed, as you are reading this letter, I am certain of it._

_My employers will send replacements for the both of us, but I am concerned for those who are left behind, one young woman in particular: Buffy's fifteen-year-old sister, Dawn._

_Their mother passed earlier this year; the girls' father legally disowned them two years ago after an incident at Buffy's graduation. They have no other siblings._

_I was to be named guardian if Buffy was... unwilling or unable to do so herself. Buffy has requested the same. I would that it were possible._

_Buffy's friends have offered to take care of Dawn, but I fear the strain of an undertaking of this magnitude, given their youth and responsibilities coupled with the losses they have suffered._

_Being the intelligent woman that you are, you have no doubt guessed the nature of my incredibly presumptuous request. It is born of a hope that she might experience something as close to normalcy as I can arrange._

_I have no idea if your professional life – or your personal one, for that matter – would be able to accommodate a disruption of the scale a teenager would create. Your strength and compassion, however, would be invaluable._

_I have spoken to Dawn, and to the others, and they have agreed to allow me to pursue this avenue, though they are not without reservations. Be warned, however, that her sister's friends will be both vocal and sincere about their intention to remain involved in her life if you do agree to take her._

_Doing so would not be easy. In addition to everything else, Dawn will have a great deal of difficulty with your profession – both of them, to be perfectly frank. Even with the little you know about her circumstances, it can not be difficult to imagine her unease in the presence of doctors and the reasons for she would have to be suspicious of the military, even without their Initiative._

_Please do not feel pressured to do this, Janet. It is not intended as a dying man's last request._

_Dawn has other options open to her, and, if she remains with here, I am certain Buffy's friends will undertake her care with the same dedication, ingenuity, and love I have seen from them every day of the last five years._

_Regardless of your decision... I am going to leave you with a dying man's last request after all –_

_Be happy._

_Yours,_

_Rip_

* * *

AN on the subject of spoilers:

_Basically, I've introduced a husband with an accent who didn't approve of Janet joining the military ("Hathor"). Otherwise, it's totally AU._


	7. Publish

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

Procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_-verse crossovers.

Neither _Stargate_ nor _Angel_ is the property of me.

This installment is set sometime during _Stargate SG-1_ season 10 (no real spoilers beyond casting) and includes technical spoilers for _Angel_ S4 "Supersymmetry"; the timelines are adjusted at the whim of my muse.

Originally posted: 14 April 10

* * *

**Publish**

Cameron caught up with her in the hall near the elevator, Daniel and Vala in tow.

"Sam! We're off to introduce Vala to that unparalleled Earth tradition known as Bowling Night; you in?"

Turning to answer, she slowed but kept moving in the direction of her lab. "Can't. I've got some reading to do." The enthusiasm in her voice was unmistakable, and she wouldn't have paused if he hadn't moved to stopped right in front of her. Which was, of course, why he did it.

"We're on stand-down, which means you're far too excited about reading–" he took advantage of his longer reach to steal the copy of _Modern Physics Review_ from her hand and flipped to the page she'd flagged "–an article titled 'Super Symmetry and P-dimensional Subspace'?" What began as a statement ended as a question, and he looked at Daniel before they both turned to her, puzzled.

It was Vala who asked what they were all thinking: "If I understand the laws of your planet... that would be a breach of confidentiality. Wouldn't it?"

"That's part of why I've been asked to look at it. I suspect, though, that it's just a coincidence. I met the author five or six years ago when I guest-lectured at UCLA. She was a very promising graduate student, and I spoke with her supervisor, hoping she could be recruited to join the Stargate program. Unfortunately, she vanished not long after that. This is her first publication in years."

"Maybe," Cam suggested dramatically, "she got sucked into a wormhole and was stuck on an alien planet, left to try and find her way home without knowing how to operate the DHD."

Vala scoffed. "That's assuming she wouldn't have been able to liberate an alternate form of transportation." She considered, then continued. "Which is a fair assumption, actually. Not everyone is as talented as I am."

"Or..." Daniel interrupted Cam's rebuttal, "maybe she was trapped in an alternate dimension."

"As... entertaining as those possibilities are," Sam replied dryly, as she reclaimed the journal, "it's much more likely she got married and had children. That's all too common, unfortunately. Either way, I'm glad she's back. She has some fascinating theories."


	8. Supposed

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

Procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

I don't own _Buffy_ or _Stargate_.

In this instalment, spoilers for _BtVS_ S5 (through "Listening to Fear"), none for _SG-1_.

Originally posted: 23 May 10

* * *

**Supposed**

When Buffy began school, Joyce did, too, intending to finally finish her degree in art history and another in business, though Hank didn't see the need for the latter since, as he put it, he was perfectly capable of supporting his family.

At the time, Joyce couldn't admit to herself, let alone to him, that somewhere deep inside she knew that the rough patch their marriage was currently experiencing would not be the last, and she would need employable skills, eventually.

She wondered later if her therapist _had_ come to that realization and that was why she'd recommended the classes for Joyce, more than just as an activity that would get her out of the house.

That was all it was supposed to be, regardless of Hank's (projected, she knew now) accusations otherwise.

She'd met the boy – and being ten years younger than she, that was what he'd seemed at first, despite the fact that he was finishing his second doctorate – when he needed to check a reference in a book she was using for a paper of her own. They'd started talking, and it wasn't supposed to be anything more than a friendly chat about art and societies in South America in the library.

Over coffee, once they were reprimanded one too many times for laughing too loudly.

Over dinner, once it became necessary for sustenance other than caffeine.

Over drinks, once it was time for the restaurant staff to close and go home.

It was not supposed to be more than that.

By the time they went their separate ways, however, he to study in Chicago, she to try, once again, to save her marriage, it had become much, much more.

It was also why, whether Hank realized it or not, she refrained from throwing his affairs in his face the next time their marriage faltered. But Dawn had been 'premature,' so he may have suspected.

* * *

When Joyce learned the truth about Dawn, that her daughter had been implanted in their lives rather than a baby born, she wondered how much of her memory had been fabricated: just the pregnancy? The affair? The entire meeting?

There was no way to know for certain, of course, though she was surprised at the depth of regret she felt at the possibility that none of it had been real.

It was time to tell the girls. She had always intended to tell Dawn eventually, but it was so easy to convince herself that Dawn wasn't yet old enough. Now, there could be further-reaching implications, and Buffy would have to be told as well.

_Just as soon as we're certain this tumour has been dealt with_, she affirmed, watching her daughters lean on each other as she was wheeled into the operating room.

* * *

AN: _Most of the bunnies on deck are not relative fics, and I had hoped to space out the posting of those that were, but this is the one that burst forth, Athena-like, in near completion, so this is the one you get. It's been that sort of month._


	9. Academic

**Possibilities Alternate and Infinite**

More procrastination plot bunnies/one-shots, a series of unrelated points of contact for _Stargate_/_Buffy_ crossovers.

Characters and their respective 'verses are not the property of me.

In this installment, references to _SG-1_ S4 "The Curse" (which you'll probably have to have seen it to understand the punch line); it's set post _BtVs_ S7 (but no spoilers).

Originally posted: 31 Dec 11

* * *

**Academic**

"Oh, Goddess."

"What?" Buffy asked. _Too loudly_, Willow thought and sent a warning nod towards the couch area where Dawn was sitting, staring blankly at the screen, while Xander tried to keep her distracted with running commentary.

Dawn's Ph.D. studies were fully funded, allowing her to rent a spacious one bedroom apartment, but with three out-of-town guests, space was limited. Especially when you didn't want to share your conversation with everyone.

Buffy pulled her chair next to Willow's and repeated her question at a much lower volume.

"Remember when we heard about—" she dropped her voice to a nearly soundless whisper, "Dr. Jordan's cause of death?" The unexpected demise of Dawn's thesis supervisor was the reason for the Scoobies' visit, and Willow continued before Buffy spoke aloud the 'Duh' she was clearly thinking. "And we joked about the Sunnydale similarities?"

Buffy nodded, suddenly serious and focused as only a Hellmouthy threat could make her.

"There's been another incident."

"What kind of incident?" Buffy asked with Dawn's voice, and Willow looked over to see Dawn twisted to lean over the back of the couch while Xander watched in concern.

"The curator of the museum has been killed." She read from the online paper on the laptop in front of her, "_She was fatally injured when bricks unexpectedly dislodged from the wall and struck her in the back of the head_." Willow turned the laptop so Buffy could see the screen; the font of the article was too small for Buffy to read from where she sat, but the headline would be legible: "Curse of the Mummy Strikes Again!"

"Damn. I was sure Giles said 'Cleveland,' not 'Chicago.' I'll go take a look."

"I'm going, too."

"Dawn-"

"Buffy, it's my school, my professor, my life. I'm going."

"But it's Tuesday."

Dawn had been forced to concede the point, and two hours later Buffy was reporting her findings. "The site was cordoned off, but there was nothing obviously demony. I'll return after hours and see if I can find anything. It's definitely suspicious. Apparently an artifact and all of Dr. Jordan's emails are missing - I overheard two people talking in the museum."

"Probably his research team— one guy, one girl?"

Buffy nodded. "Blond woman, brunette hottie."

"That's… disturbing." Dawn gaped incredulously. "You think Raynor's hot?"

"In a book-geek sort of way," Buffy replied defensively.

* * *

**AN:** _The mistaken identity is, of course, intentional (at least on my part : ) )._

Happy New Year!


End file.
